


a fantastic show

by Anonymous



Category: King's Raid (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Confinement, Dimensional Illusions, Gambling, Gen, Illusions, Magical shows, References to Depression, very slight though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 00:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20282425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Of course, Esker knows Hexipolia - the Wandering Illusion Clown, a legend among the legends, renowned for the quality of his magical shows. He has always admired him and still thinks highly of him.What he doesn't understand is the reason Hexipolia keeps summoning him in his dimensional illusion.





	a fantastic show

**Author's Note:**

> thank you vespa for this summer event with esker!hexipolia bc that's the main reason i wrote this fic. i really wanted to see more interactions between hexipolia & esker, so i took some liberties, and that's how this au was born

Hexipolia's illusions were on another level than his own. Each time, they never failed to take Esker's breath away.

When he was a child, his mentor told him an illusion didn't have to be perfect. It was meant to entertain an audience by deceiving their mind, not confine them in a lie. That's why a good illusionist had to leave hints that his spells weren't the reality, in case someone panicked and needed to prove themselves they weren't in danger. Esker was talented, so these hints were usually the lack of taste of the food, a shadow with a wrong angle, or a low shiver of the air. Hexipolia's illusions, however, were overwhelming. Nothing felt off, no matter where he looked; the smells, tastes, touches and sounds felt like reality, too. The only proof he wasn't in the real world was his memory, but if he were to stay in this illusion for too long, he would doubt them too.

Esker only understood Hexipolia to a certain extent. It was something akin to a ghost, stuck in a routine, unable to escape from his fate. Hexipolia used to be the ultimate entertainer and everyone in the Stardust troupe adopted him as a model to teach their trainees. Hexipolia's acts were repeated again and again, though with flaws, performed with determination without reaching the same degree of perfection. But the constant need to reach the ideal took a huge toll on his mind, and now Esker was stuck with a half-spirit who would, from time to time, lock him up in a dimensional illusion until he's satisfied. The first time it happened, it was in summer; at that time, Esker was lucky Ophelia and her friend Shea were there to save him. With their help, he was able to defeat Hexipolia; but he couldn't do it on his own. Hexipolia was too close to him, he was like an upgraded version of the wizard, and he had yet to find the trick to surpass him.

Besides, it wasn't as if he didn't understand Hexipolia at all. His loneliness was painfully familiar.

Hexipolia's blue eyes laid on him, and Esker sighed. "Why do you keep taking my appearance? It's getting old."

In truth, he knew; he was the owner of Lu Estrona now, and Hexipolia's spectre lingered in the dice. It was dear to him, his only escape from reality - hence the reason the illusion was _so_ great - and when he passed away, a part of his soul got attached to the die. In a way, it was flattering: it meant Lu Estrona was legitimately his. On the other hand, he hated having to look at his own face. Hexipolia looked like a blue, better version of himself.

"Aren't you the best illusionist of the world, right now? Entertain me", Hexipolia demanded, and Esker burst out laughing.

"Me? The best? I've been excluded from my troupe. You must be mistaken."

He fiddled with a pair of dices - regular ones, the ones he uses when he gambles when he's accused of cheating -, keeping his mask of boredom on his face. To be honest, he u_sed to be_ the best in Stardust; but it was a long time ago. He didn't consider him as an entertainer now; he was more of a warrior, fighting against his inner demons. If he was to be called an artist, then he would be a con artist, nothing else. His victims' words, not his. He hated scammers.

Hexipolia stared at him, unfazed. "The Lu Estrona Dice is never wrong. There's a reason it chose you."

Esker believed it was more because of his _despair_ than his talent, but he bit. "Why can't _you_ perform your so-called perfect show? I wanna see it."

Hexipolia didn't reply. His face took a darker hue, his smile - a copy of Esker's usual smirk - faded away. He was only a ghost, but his power was real. His magic distorted the air, and shivers ran down the wizard's back. Hexipolia didn't want to kill him, that was obvious, but at this very moment the pressure was so tight Esker realized the Wanderer could erase his existence, if he wished.

"Fine, fine. Then let's play a game." In this dimension, Esker knew luck wasn't on his side. Hexipolia controlled the chances and there was nothing the wizard could do. Yet he used his magic to raise his dices in the air. If _luck_ wasn't a factor, then it wasn't a problem. "I'll think of a number and roll the dies to reveal it. You give me a number between two and twelve, too. If it's the same as mine, then it's your win. If I win, you'll let me go."

"And you won't cheat." It wasn't a question; Hexipolia only stated the obvious.

Esker grinned. "No, I won't. You know it." He began to roll the dices, knowing exactly which number he wanted to get.

Hexipolia said: "Seven."

The dices stopped, showing golden three and four on their top faces. Esker sighed. Of course, Hexipolia had to choose the same number as him.

"Then, another time."

This time, Hexipolia chose three and won the round once again. Then it was five, then twelve. Esker's smile disappeared from his face.

"Aren't _you_ the one who cheats?" he accused, holding his anger at bay - he had no proof, after all, and only a suspicion he didn't want to say aloud.

Hexipolia sat in the sand, his movements a perfect reflection of the wizard's own. His facial expressions were the same, too; Esker recognized the annoyance he was told had become his resting face. "I'm Hexipolia, but I'm also you. I can't help but think of the same numbers as you."

_Damnit_, Esker thought. Now he was good to stay the rest of his life in this illusion.

He heard his name pronounced by a familiar voice - but this was, of course, a mirage, maybe the remnants of the dream he was having before he started to wake up. So he grumbled and refused to open his eyes, until he felt a pair of fingers pinching him.

"Esker!" The wizard jumped, cursing Hexipolia and his way too real illusions. He must have taken Lucias' features from his memories; the illusion looked like the tall man he once spotted in a crowd, at Orvel, with white and gold clothes and a too-kind-to-be-trusted expression in his eyes.

Esker sighed. "I can't believe it. Why couldn't he choose Ophelia, it would have been nicer."

Lucias' laugh was not amused. "I don't know, Esker, I have no idea what I'm doing here. But I'm glad to see you too."

An edge in his voice alerted Esker - this was the real Lucias. He always figured Lucias wouldn't be happy to see him again, especially after he pulled a prank on him for his birthday. (Though said prank was a high-quality illusion, so he should be thankful Esker took the time to create something so complicated for his little blond head.) This Lucias felt... too real to be an illusion. His face had features Esker never noticed on his adult version; both his stigmata and his eyes were gold.

"I bet you'll tell me it was all Lua's will", he whispered, and Lucias nodded.

"I have tons of things I'd like to say, and Lua's involvement isn't one of them", Lucias retorted, his voice soft but kind of dry, and boy was he pissed, it was so obvious, and Esker was slightly worried. "For now, I'd like it if you could dispell your illusion."

Esker shrugged. "It's not mine. I can't do anything."

Lucias gazed at him. Then he looked around, trying to find the cause of the illusion. Esker added: "Hexipolia took my appearance. If we defeat him, we can go back. Or we can wait until he's ready to let us go, but I wouldn't count on it."

Lucias opened his eyes wide. "Hexipolia? I thought he was a myth?"

"Well, guess magic do wonders. Let's look for him and you'll see."

Hexipolia was nowhere to be found. When he wanted to be left alone, he erased himself from the world he created. But he was still there: Esker felt his presence all over the place, like an intuition he couldn't shrug off. After a while, Lucias and he decided to sit behind the boulders.

"I understand why I couldn't find you", Lucias finally said. "So you're half-forgiven." He sounded so serious Esker wondered how mad he was at him, exactly. If anything, Esker was the one who had the right to be angry: Lucias made his childhood a living hell after all. (Well, it might be an overstatement, but Lucias indeed bullied him. Esker still has nightmares involving fishing earthworms leave the waters to take revenge for their death.)

"Only half? I'm hurt, Lucias. I thought we were friends." Esker figured it wasn't the best moment to tell him these abductions only began after Lucias' birthday. Actually, he might have to wait until Lucias leaves him alone to tell him the whole story of his infortune.

"You still knew how to reach me and didn't bother to go say hello", Lucias complained.

"Yeah, well, I was busy."

The silence fell. It was already the night in this dimension, but they didn't see the sun set. The sky only turned dark and the light disappeared. It was the only time that it happened; Hexipolia's crepuscules were beautiful, a twirl of pinks, oranges and yellows. They were one of Esker's comforts when he was stuck in this illusional world.

And suddenly, Hexipolia was there; still an exact copy of Esker, but now washed-out, an almost white reflection of the wizard. Lucias jumped when his eyes landed on him.

"You're right", he then murmured. "He does look like you."

There was a soft tinge of affection in his voice, and Esker was annoyed. Lucias was cold with him, but had no qualms showing his fondness to someone who stole his looks.

Hexipolia bowed before him, the hem of his cape grazing the sand as he lowers his knees. "Welcome, my dear audience." He had his eyes on Lucias as he talked. "I, Hexipolia, will give my all to present you a perfect show."

Esker grabbed his dices. "And now, Lucias, we fight." This time, he would definitely retrieve his appearance, and break free of his prison. But his friend takes him by his arm. "Why not watching him, Esker?"

"Huh?"

And letting Hexipolia do as he pleases? Esker didn't believe it was a great idea. These were his eyes and his mouth, his hands and his legs; even the magic he displayed looked like his. He had to attack to get it back, to _feel_ like his own person again.

But Lucias shook his head. "This is a great opportunity! You know, I haven't watched a magical show since I was a child, I miss it a lot! And it's Hexipolia we're talking about, I'm sure it's going to be great!"

The grip on his wrist was too strong for a mere priest. Lucias, too, was a warrior, Esker realized; he was used to fight for other people's sake, and this was a battle he didn't wish to have. So Esker sat again.

Hexipolia's show wasn't as he expected. It was, in a way, perfect; but the ghost didn't perform his old acts. No, he took Esker's ones as his own, with a few corrections and adaptations, and they became "perfection". Esker knew, of course, he would never imitate this enhanced version of his art; even if he promised he would go back to Stardust, he couldn't be an an entertainer anymore. And he didn't want to walk down this path, for he knew that it only lead to depression and isolation.

Yet at some point, he got up again, and he joined the show. All he could do was adding a few ornaments, but it suited the number, and Hexipolia smiled at him. The loneliness that never left his eyes had disappeared.

They finished the show when the sun started to rise - and again, the dawn was less impressive than the other dawns Esker has sawn in this world, yet it was, by far, his favourite.

Lucias clapped his hand, his eyes glimmering. "That was... wonderful." And Esker guessed what he didn't say: he heard the missing in his voice, understood how much Lucias longed for his show. It was years since Esker performed for him, but the memory never left him alone. And in truth, the moments Esker spent with Lucias - even when they were fishing - were still engraved in his mind. They helped him a lot when he was trying to find a way to survive.

"Thank you so much for watching", Hexipolia said, as he started to fade away. "It's been a while since I've done this. I can now rest in peace."

Lucias and Esker could only stare at him as he disappeared from this world. Then the illusion started to crumble, and before he knew it, everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not sure if everything was clear, so let me rephrase if it wasn't: hexipolia only allows people to leave if they defeat him (like in the event) or if they watch his "perfect show". esker isn't considered as an audience (which is why, in the au, hexipolia only shows up when ophelia and shea arrive), so he's asked to entertain hexipolia in return. hexipolia still lets him go after a while, as he doesn't want esker to become crazy and forget about reality. but he keeps summoning him, and leaving traps in the real world to get an audience. since he was finally able to perform his show, he won't bother esker anymore.  
of course, none of this is canon, this is only an extrapolation i did for this au. if you want to use it, then feel free to do so.


End file.
